


it started out as nothing in the strangest sense

by punktaekai (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Cheating, Dating, Deck Hand Kim Joonmyun | Suho, Deck Hand Oh Sehun, First Dates, Holidays, Hook-Up, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Memories, Mentioned Kim Jongin | Kai, Minor Character Death, Minor Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun, Minor Kim Joonmyun | Suho/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Minor Wu Yi Fan | Kris/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Repressed Memories, Scuba Diving, Scuba Instructor Park Chanyeol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-08 18:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17391278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/punktaekai
Summary: message bottle 02--Junmyeon isn't sure why something that seems like fate is tugging him out onto the beaches of Langkawi in the cold evening. He knows he should get home to his waiting husband and pets, but he can't seem to pull away. What he does find, brings back memories that Junmyeon forgot he had even repressed.





	it started out as nothing in the strangest sense

**Author's Note:**

> ** Vocab   
>  **
> 
> **japchae** \- sweet potato starch noodles stir fried with vegetables and meat  
>  **ddukbokki** \- spicy rice cakes  
>  **bibimbap** \- warm white rice topped with sauteed and seasoned vegetables, chilli pepper paster and saw sauce or fermented soybean paste, alongside egg or sliced meat  
>  **kangkong salad** \- a salad based around water spinach  
>  **seolleongtang** \- a Korean broth soup made of ox bones, brisket and other meat cuts
> 
>  **Sinhala** \- the language spoken in Sri Lanka

Junmyeon walked along the shore of Kuah, staring out at the Pacific Ocean as it lapped at the sand of the Malaysian island. He had lived here for most of his adult life, working on a scuba boat and helping tourists with whatever they wished to do; mainly he cooked lunch for the long day trips that left the customers exhausted and hungry. He couldn't remember his life before Malaysia much; his childhood was a blur of studies and talks of being a CEO in his father's company before he had booked a single flight to the small island retreat and fled. He'd set up a new life, adopted a stray dog, and began anew. He had got married, to a man with a deep love of cats, obsessed with order and cleanliness and who made the best japchae Junmyeon ever remembered eating; a man he had met on the beach at a staff bonfire party, eyes catching each other in the flames, illuminating passion and curiosity.

Junmyeon wasn't entirely sure why he was walking that same beach now, as the sun began to dip below the ocean, turning the sky into a canvas of deep oranges and reds. Something had told him to come tonight, to walk around and discover what was happening on the soft sands. In his mind was the faint thought of his husband at home, feeding their cat and dog, cooking dinner and waiting for Junmyeon to get home from work. He knew he should call, or at least text to let Minseok know he would be late home, but he couldn't find the energy to pull his phone from his pocket. He didn't know how to explain this; this feeling that seemed to tug on his soul and drag him out as the air began to cool seemed magical and curious like fate was leading him on a leash. It was powerful, and he couldn't ignore it; it was something important, leading him to something he needed to know, something he needed to see.

And then he saw it, ahead of him in the beginning gloom of the night.

A small huddle of people, with a photo set up on a stand, as though a funeral had taken place earlier that day and the last mourners were stood by to say a final goodbye.

But that wasn't why Junmyeon had stopped walking, his shoe heels digging into the sand as his mouth went dry, not the thought that he might be intruding on something.

Junmyeon stopped in his tracks, mouth slowly slipping open in shock and surprised when he blinked at the memorial photo a few more times. It was someone he recognised, someone he remembered from almost ten years ago, the first person he had made a true connection with on the small island of Kuah; a ghost from the past that Junmyeon never thought he would ever have to revisit.

Zhang Yixing, a Chinese tourist who had come to visit on a business trip and had returned days later to spend a month on the island, experiencing how the small place felt and worked. Junmyeon's memory burned with memories he had forgotten long ago. Memories from nine years and seven months ago he had refused to think about again.

* * *

Junmyeon was relaxing in the sun at the front of the boat he was working on that day, teasing his younger coworker. He was laughing, telling Sehun in detail how he would throw him off the boat whether he's holding his phone or not after the scuba divers disappeared below the surface of the ocean, due to Sehun having knocked Junmyeon's last phone off one of the seats for divers by accident last week. A shadow fell across his back and Junmyeon frowned a little before he rolled over, to find a tall man stood over him.

"Are you Junmyeon?"

"I most certainly am." Junmyeon sat up with a smile, replying to the man in the same Chinese speech the tourist had used. "Can I help you?"

"The tour guide said you'd be able to help me the most with the background of the areas we're going to, and with the history of the island?"

"That I most definitely can, what do you need?"

The man smiled and ducked his head with a blush.

"When we start travelling out, I'd like to get an idea of the history of his place. It's all so amazing, I thought it would be an amazing piece for a travel magazine I work for. I did do some research online, but I find there's a difference between reading words on a screen and being told about a place by a local. Locals really help get the feeling and meaning across much more."

Junmyeon nodded and smiled up at him. "I can do that for sure; when we get going and start passing sites, I'll come and find you and let you know what I know. I might not be the best person to explain some of the stuff, but none of the locals on the boat really know Chinese. I'll do my best with what I can."

The tourist bowed in thanks and returned to where he had placed his bag in the cabin. Sehun chuckled. "He's cute."

"And what about it? We're working, there are kids on board."

"I wasn't saying fuck him!"

Junmyeon laughed at the offended Korean that fell from Sehun's lips. "Please, with your hormonal young personality, no one can ever be sure with you."

Sehun kicked him, lazily, and yawned. "Where are we even going today?"

"Pulau Segantang, for a change."

Sehun lazily fist bumped the air. "Thank god, I thought it would be Pulau Payar for the third time this week."

"Nah, we got experienced divers on board, they've all done Pulau Payar before. There are also some new divers doing their official qualifications so make sure to be ready when the instructors come up in case one of the new divers needs help."

"I've never done this before." Sehun sat up, tugging his sunglasses down to watch Junmyeon. "What do I need to know?"

Junmyeon rolled onto his front and stretched his legs out a little. "Once they go down, stay on the back of the boat with all the gear - there are also brand new workers on board none of us have worked with before, so it prevents any with sticky fingers going through anyone's gear. If anyone comes up, they'll signal with their hand. They'll wave one hand from their side to above their head a few times. Do _not_ dive into the water, just lean in and help the instructor get the diver out of the water. Once they're on the deck and out of danger of falling back into the water, yell membantu. It means help in Malay. If you can manage pertolongan cemas diperlukan as well, that means first aid needed."

Junmyeon saw Sehun nod in his peripheral vision.

"Membantu... got it."

Junmyeon sat up to gently later some more sunscreen on his legs. "Likely, you won't need it at all, but just in case. I'll have to teach you first aid later on in the week when we have a day off and how to use the gear. Nothing serious, just enough like CPR and such until the guys get you on a first aid course. Of course, if something happens and you panic, just scream for me."

Sehun laughed a little and shook his head. "I can remember memberantu."

"Membantu."

Sehun collapsed on his back with a groan. "Fuck."

Junmyeon chuckled and shook his head. "Good luck."

Sehun sighed and went back to the guide book of the islands of Langkawi he had read countless times, going back to the vocabulary sections. He had been on the island for a few months now, taking a few years out of university to do some honest work and do some volunteering work in the marine preservation charities that helped with the diving hot spots. Junmyeon went back to trying to doze off for a while, knowing Sehun would wake him up when he was needed - they still had three hours before they would leave the dock and he had done everything he had done already.

"Wait, Junmyeon?"

"Yes, Sehun?"

"You told that guy that people in Langkawi didn't speak Chinese. The book says some minorities speak Chinese, Siamese and some Indian native languages, and also most locals speak a regional variant of Kedah Malay."

Junmyeon rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "You're gonna be an amazing tour guide one day if you learned to _listen_."

"What?"

"I said the locals on the boat, as in the locals with us on this boat, don't speak Chinese. Not the entire island." Junmyeon chuckled softly. "But good catch if I hadn't been clearer."

Sehun huffed and went back to his guide book. Junmyeon watched him from the corner of his eye. Oh Sehun. A Korean kid who wanted to spread good in the world and spend his years travelling around the world. He already spoke Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, and was making large progress each day with Kedah Malay; Taiwanese and Sinhala were next on his list. Easily, Sehun was a prodigy, in languages at least. He would definitely do big and amazing things in the future, and Junmyeon couldn't wait to see him plastered all over the travel news.

"Myeon!"

Junmyeon heard the Captain of the boat call his name and he groaned under his breath. Sehun snickered behind his book, and Junmyeon smacked the back of the book so it bounced off the bridge of Sehun's nose. Sehun scowled and glared over the top, and Junmyeon stuck his tongue out, winking as he left for the cabin.

He was set to work starting on the food for the day and Junmyeon gladly slipped into the small kitchen area to start work. He lost time as he worked, chopping vegetables, making salads, setting pasta up to boil. Time passed on and Junmyeon easily kept his balance as the boat began to move, easily turning to make sure a pot didn't tip over as the boat lurched. It earned him a small amount of applause from the few tourists sat inside the cabin, and he smiled at them as he stooped to get himself a drink. Someone walked over and Junmyeon stood up straight, expecting to make a coffee, only to find the Chinese tourist from earlier.

Junmyeon returned the bright smile offered to him and noticed the notebook in the man's hands. "I guess you need me to answer some questions now?"

He nodded and Junmyeon cracked his can of cola opened. "First of all, before I answer your questions; what is your name? I didn't get it earlier."

The man chuckled and smiled brightly. "Yixing, I'm Yixing."

"Well, Yixing, fire away, but I'm afraid you're getting my split attention, for now, I need to make sure none of this burns or none of you are going to be eating after the first dive."

Yixing laughed and nodded, leaning against the side of the small kitchen counter. "It's fine, don't worry about it. I'm intruding in on your work time, and I'm grateful you're helping me out at all."

Junmyeon smiled as he swallowed his mouthful of cola. "It's really nothing. Part of the service, I guess. What do you need?"

"So, where are we going? I heard someone say we were going thirteen kilometres away from Kuah and I thought that was a little strange. A lot of dive sites I've been too haven't been that far away from the starting island or dock."

Junmyeon nodded. "Pulau Segantang, do you need me to spell that? A lot of people have issues with the spelling. It takes about an hour to get to from Kuah Jetty; that's the main dock we left in Kuah if it wasn't obvious. There aren't actually any dive sites on the island of Kuah. Many of the places we take people to are in a small island cluster, Pulau Payar, is where we usually go to. It's a marine park and it offers great protection and cares for its marine life, and many divers and snorkellers love going there. It's famous for its corals.  
Pulau Segantang is one of the islands in that cluster, but we're only going strictly to Segantang; we'll be doing a dive to the east and a dive to the west, and that's all, we won't be visiting any other islands in the area today."

Yixing nodded, his pen furiously scribbling across the page as he took down what Junmyeon had said. He paused a moment to check over what he had written and made some corrections to his notes before he looked back up. "What can we expect to see there?"

"Have you ever been to India?"

Yixing shook his head. "I haven't, not yet. I'm hoping that will be one of my other stops this year."

Junmyeon nodded a little. "Well, there's a lot of overlap with what you can see in Indian oceans and what you can see here. Some of the stuff that comes to mind is horse-eyed jacks, moray eels. Groups that are about two meters long, black-tipped reef sharks and black spotted puffer fish. Oh, and keep an eye out for the barracuda. They often don't go for any divers, but don't antagonise them."

"Diving around sharks is safe?"

Junmyeon laughed and started stirring the pasta as it started to bubble. "This is your first time diving around sharks, huh?"

"It's my first time diving since I did my qualification."

Junmyeon nodded and looked over his shoulder. "Where did you do your qualification?"

Yixing shrugged. "Diving centre swimming pool."

Junmyeon nodded a little. "Then today is quite special for you. Don't worry; most shark species actually don't care about humans and they don't actively hunt us for food. Only four species out of four hundred and forty species - and I honestly didn't make that statistic up, as strange as it seems with all the fours - will see a human and see food. Black-tips are very calm and some will even come over to you and bump their noses on you to see what you are - it's how they discover things like we touch them and hold them. Black-tips also only hunt at night, and they get very predatory during that time. As long as we're out of here during the day, everything will be fine. It's the moray eels you want to watch out for."

"Wait what- why the eels?"

Junmyeon burst into laughter and shook his head. "Just don't get too close to them, they have a strong and painful bite." Junmyeon lifted his arm to reveal a scar that ran along his forearm around the side of his arm. "One was latched onto a diver and it didn't quite like me trying to get it off, a few years ago now. But your instructor will make sure you're all aware and safe and such. Don't think too much on it, just make sure you don't get too close to them and stay with the group."

"And what if I do get bit by a moray eel?"

"Your group will be brought up immediately, as will all other groups. Black-tip reef sharks are pretty civil but we don't risk anything with blood in the water. You'll have half your gear removed before you're even on the boat and first aid will be administered. We'll remove any teeth that have broken off in the wound, sterilise it with soap and water, add on some topical antibiotics, and bandage it. When we get back to land, we'll see if you need stitches and if you do, one of us will drive you to the nearest clinic in which case - as long as you have your insurance set up - you won't have to pay anything."

Yixing nodded a little and turned the page as he made more notes before he looked up.

"So what about you? Do you dive?"

"Me? Oh no, no, it's quite scary to me. I don't like being too deep in water where I can't stand and have my head out the water."  
  
Yixing nodded. "That's fair enough."

Junmyeon shrugged. "What about you? You mentioned you've been to dive sites but you also said this is your first dive, right?"

Yixing nodded. "I used to go with someone from my work, Yifan. He did the diving, I stayed on the boat and asked the natives questions and did the travel aspect of the writing; he did the diving section. He got engaged and moved to a different writing team, so now it's up to me to do both sides of the story."

Junmyeon nodded. "That's pretty cool, though. Diving is amazing, so I've heard. I snorkel a little at some of the sites and it's absolutely beautiful down there. You'll love it."

Yixing nodded and opened his mouth as the boat slowed down, only for the head instructor for the day to call the divers over and Junmyeon smiled. "Go on, I'll be on the boat all day."

Yixing nodded and bowed his head slightly before moving over to the small table where everyone was gathering. Junmyeon focused on making the rest of the pasta salad.

-xox-

It wasn't until the boat was back in the docks and Junmyeon had clocked off work, however, until he saw Yixing again. Junmyeon was pushing the last box over the counter of the scuba gear rental office when the man appeared by his side, leaning on the stark white painted brick. Junmyeon nodded at Zikri behind the counter before he turned to Yixing.

"Something I can help you with?"

Yixing nodded a little but didn't turn his gaze away from the pristine pale blue waters that were almost completely translucent. Junmyeon took the moment to look at the man properly, in the afternoon sunlight.

Yixing was wearing just a simple white tank top, that showed off the tan he had accumulated over his time travelling. He wore simple denim shorts that cut off at the knee, and black flip-flops - Junmyeon would have to advise him against that. Black flip-flops here in the summer were only good for scalding the bottom of your feet when you took them off for just a few minutes too long in the sunlight. His black hair had long dried in the warm sun and tropical temperatures, curled as though it had been permed; it looked fluffy and it made Junmyeon want to run his hand through it - not fair, considering Junmyeon's hair went stock still and half stood on end because of the salty waters. His face though, that's where Junmyeon lost his train of thought.  
Smoothed skin, not a spot or a pimple in sight. His lips were a delicate pale pink, a few shades darker than candy floss. They were a beautiful colour and Junmyeon blushed at the stray thought of what they might taste like. Rounded glasses encircled deep brown eyes; they were dark and trapping, Junmyeon felt like his soul was being sucked out through his own eyes by the dark circles.

It was then, that Junmyeon realised Yixing had been speaking the whole time.

Junmyeon shook his head and blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Yixing burst into laughter, shaking his head. "The eyes, right? I get that quite a lot, don't be sorry. It happens." Yixing grinned, almost wolfishly with perfect white teeth. "I was asking if I might... take you out for dinner tonight? My treat, completely. You pick somewhere you like because I'm pretty dumb when it comes to the local restaurants, and I'll meet you at seven?"

Junmyeon shook his head, once again. "I'm sorry, what?"

Yixing laughed softly. "I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask, and you seem very informed about the area; I thought a sort of business dinner would work better so I'm not taking too much out of your time. At least you get to have something to eat and get to have some food and such. It's completely my treat, consider it a thank you for everything already."

Junmyeon nibbled on his lip for a moment, considering the option. It would be nice to get some free food, instead of having to cook or order out and wait for about an hour for the food to get there. The restaurants had all gotten their new catches for the week as well so the seafood restaurants would have some amazing food for the evening.

Junmyeon nodded. "Kuah town seafood. It's not far from the docks. The seafood restaurants all got their new catches this morning for the week, it's the best day of the week to get seafood, but it's also a Tuesday, so most people will go home and order from the restaurants instead and have it delivered to them. Good food, quiet, and easier to talk."  
  
Yixing licked his lips and nodded. "I'll see you there at seven then, thank you."

Junmyeon nodded and Yixing bowed his head once more, turning to start walking back to his hotel. Junmyeon stared after him and a hand clapped on Junmyeon's back, making him jump.

Sehun was grinning at him with an evil grin, chuckling. "Well, well."

"It's a business dinner! He's interviewing me or just asking me questions about Langkawi, stop it."

"Who takes someone out to a relatively fancy restaurant for an interview."

"Journalists. We take some divers out in the case of lawsuits. It happens, Sehun."

"Not with the way he was looking at you."

Junmyeon glared at Sehun, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, I think one of the boats our company uses needs help removing some barnacles from the bottom of the boat."

Sehun fell silent immediately, heading over to Junmyeon's car. Junmyeon chuckled. "There's a good boy now."

"I will bite you."

"I know, that's why I'm not pushing my luck." Junmyeon grinned as he followed, slowly getting into the driver's seat. "You coming over or do you wanna go straight back to yours?"

Sehun went through his backpack on his lap for a moment before looking up. "Huh? Oh, back to mine, I have a date to get to."

"Oh?"

Sehun snorted. "That exchange student that came over? Jongin?"

Junmyeon tapped the steering wheel as he started driving carefully down the dock road, keeping an eye on the different pedestrians and tourists that might end up in the road. "Oh, that kid who did nothing but dance on the boat and almost gave himself a concussion when the boat lurched?"

Sehun laughed. "Yeah, him. We exchanged numbers and social media... he's staying here for a year on his volunteering work for university; he's volunteering over at Palay Payar with marine life. We figured we'd give it a go and see how it works. If we last a year, then long distance shouldn't be too hard to figure out, and I'll be going back to South Korea just after him."

"Good for you, I'm glad. You deserve someone that makes you happy. And if he hurts you at all, I'll make sure the next time he dives, he won't come back up."

Sehun laughed and playfully punched Junmyeon's leg. "Be nice, Mr I Have a Date with a Cute Guy with Curly Hair."

"Shut up!"

"Curly hair is so your type!"

"I will crash this car into the oncoming post on your side."

"You love me too much."

"You're so socially dumb you make me look smarter."

" _Nǐ shì ge báichī, wǒ xiǎng zòu nǐ yídùn_."

Junmyeon burst into laughter. "Did you just call me an intellectual dumbass and say you wanna punch me in the dick?"

"In the balls, but close enough."

They burst into laughter as Junmyeon carefully navigated the streets, turning down on the small offbeat road that Sehun lived down. 

Junmyeon carefully stopped at the end of Sehun's driveway, staring at Sehun's motorbike in the driveway.

"You asshole!"

"What?" Sehun's face was buried in his backpack as he tried to find the keys to his front door. "What did I do this time?"

"You made me pick you up this morning because your bike was still in the shop! It's right there on your driveway!"

Sehun turned his head enough to grin up at Junmyeon. "It's been out of the shop for a week and a half."

"You're paying me gas money or I'm gonna run you over."

Sehun laughed and got out the car. "It's out of gas and I have zero money. Give me a few paychecks to sort out rent and gas money and stuff and then I'll pay you back."

Junmyeon glowered but smiled warmly and shook his head. "Go! Get out of my sight, you heathen!"

Sehun waved with another laugh and disappeared inside his small bungalow. Junmyeon shook his head and started driving slowly forward, aware of anyone who might be trying to back out of their driveways.  
  
He was going to miss Sehun when he eventually went back to South Korea, and left Langkawi, left Malaysia. He wondered if Sehun would visit or if he'd get caught up within the busy hectic life that Seoul University promoted and enforced with their workload for students. He hoped Sehun would make it somehow, would get to live the life he had worked so hard to get.

Junmyeon slammed his breaks quickly as he realised he had been so deep in thought, he had almost driven straight past his small home. He laughed at himself a little and checked the rearview mirror, blushing when he saw one of his neighbours behind him. He stuck his hand out the window, showing he was trying to get into his driveway, and he watched Chanyeol slowly back up enough for Junmyeon to reverse and pull into his driveway.

He got out the car, blushing, and nodded his head as Chanyeol got out of his car. "Are you alright? I'm sorry for the sudden stop."

"Too much thinking again? Keep doing that and you're gonna make your brain go into overdrive."

Junmyeon sighed heavily as he got his stuff out the back of the car. "That's twice this afternoon I've been called a dumbass."

"I didn't call you a dumbass." Chanyeol unloaded some scuba tanks off the back of his truck, Junmyeon assumed it was to fill them with oxygen for his dives tomorrow. "I _insinuated_ you were a dumbass, there's a small difference."

Junmyeon burst into laughter and headed to the small picket fence that separated their front gardens. "What boat are you working on tomorrow?"

"Miracle 5, what are you on?"

"Yes!" Junmyeon offered his hand in a high five. "Miracle 5. It's been a while since I last worked with you. It'll be nice to work alongside you again."

Chanyeol gladly returned the high five and smiled. "You gonna make japchae for the boat?"

"Not tonight, but if we're on the same boat day after tomorrow, I'll make something Korean, japchae maybe ddukbokki, or even bibimbap. Depends what I have in my fridge. Or, alternatively, I have an interview tonight but if you're free tomorrow night, you can come over, I'll get Sehun to come round and we can have a bit of a missing home party?"

Chanyeol wolf whistled and nodded. "A date, huh? Have fun, you deserve some fun. You haven't really seen anyone since that uh... who was that guy you hooked up with on his two-week trip?"

"Uh..." Junmyeon chewed on his lip, thinking back to a year ago. "Mingyu? No... Minseok, yeah, Minseok. And it's not a date, just a travel journalist asking me a bunch of stuff about the island."

"Minseok was a good guy, a shame he didn't come back. Have fun tonight and hey, I'll see you for that nostalgia party tomorrow."

"Have a good evening, Chanyeol, see you tomorrow." Junmyeon waved his hand as he headed to his front door, unlocking it and pushing it open. He stifled a yawn as he picked up his mail, and hung his bag up on the coat hooks.  
Really, he should go and get ready for his date now. It had already been an hour since he left the dock, and he'd left just before five; it was almost seven already.  
  
A letter caught his eyes in the pile he was holding, and he carefully tugged out the envelope with a South Korean stamp. He dropped the rest of the envelopes on the table in his hallway, scanning the handwriting. It didn't seem fully familiar, but something about it seemed to tug some memories from his brain. Carefully, he ripped the top open and tugged the letter out, unfolding it.   
  
_Junmyeon,_  
_It seems strange and almost wrong to write to you right now, so long after we last saw each other. I know I left almost abruptly our last night together, and I never got the chance to let you know my flight time had been moved forward earlier due to storms coming in during the afternoon; it would be my last chance to get out of Langkawi before the storms would have grounded me for weeks and caused me to miss too much work to catch up at university._  
_I was writing because... I've thought about you a lot recently, more and more so as my graduation comes closer. I ended up graduating early last year and found myself still obsessed and dreaming of Langkawi most nights that I wasn't too busy to have a moment to think. I ended up doing a trade school course in travel, becoming a travel guide. I graduate in a few days, after writing this letter._  
_I was just hoping I might be able to talk to you - nothing serious, nothing trying to drag up old memories or trying to start some kind of life. But I will be living in Langkawi for a few weeks at least, to improve my Malay and get a basis for what the work is like in a less busy environment. I was hoping you could help me with that whilst I figure out what I fully want to do in being a travel guide and finding the best deals on somewhere to live, things like that._  
_If not, I fully understand and I don't wish to intrude on your life. This was merely some absent thinking that you've lived in Langkawi for so long, it might be beneficial to talk to you._  
_If you're willing to, I've enclosed the number I'll be using for my time in Malaysia; I'll be arriving in the afternoon of the twelfth; please don't contact me before then, I don't want you to end up with a large phone bill._  
_With regards and love,_  
_Minseok._  
  
Junmyeon read it over and over a few times, blinking rapidly at the words before he placed the letter down on the side. Speak of the devil.

He shook his head, deciding to figure out what to do with this at least after his dinner with Yixing, and left for his bedroom to find something smart to wear and give his hair a quick wash to remove the salt from it.

-xox-

Yixing wasn't hard to spot outside the restaurant, and Junmyeon smiled to himself. The man wasn't exactly tall, but there was something about him that dragged your attention to him no matter how crowded the area around him was. His skin seemed to shine in the star and moonlight in the darkening night sky. The lights of the street cast shadows in the small dimple in his cheek, making it seem much deeper than it was. Junmyeon could see he was wearing a pair of jeans, a smart collared shirt with a casual suit jacket for the evening. A notebook could be seen poking out of Yixing's jean pockets, and it was a gentle reminder to Junmyeon.

This wasn't a date; as much as the first impression of Yixing stood by the restaurant seemed to insinuate and had caused Junmyeon to forget for a moment. He shook his head and took a breath of the slightly colder air to clear his head before he walked over. "Yixing!"

The tourist stood upright from the wall he had been leant against, a leg so casually helping him lean at an angle, and he looked around. Yixing's eyes met with Junmyeon's and he smiled brightly, waving.

"Junmyeon!"

"I'm so sorry that I was a little late. Traffic coming out of the dock kept me, I left a little later than I originally planned."

"It's okay, you're only about five minutes late, I completely understand."

Junmyeon smiled and let Yixing lead the way into the small restaurant. A server immediately showed up, and Junmyeon smiled. "Table for two please, somewhere a little quiet please."

He saw Yixing look at him with a little amazement as the quick Malay fell from Junmyeon's lips, and he blushed a little. He followed as they were lead to a small table in the corner. They were handed menus and poured drinks of water before the server left, leaving them alone in the small corner of the restaurant.

Junmyeon leant back, having visited enough he knew what he wanted already, and sipped his water. Yixing glanced at the menu before up at Junmyeon. "Your Malay is amazing."

Junmyeon nodded. "I've lived in the Langkawi islands since I was eighteen, it's been about nine years now. I should really take the fluency test, thinking about it... and my Chinese fluency exams."

Yixing propped a hand under his chin. "You're not Chinese, I can tell from your accent when you talk. Why did you learn Chinese?"

Junmyeon laughed softly, smiling. "You're right." He chuckled. "I'm Korean. I went to Seoul University; I did Chinese as a minor alongside my major in business and economics. I ended up doing a lot of extra classes in Chinese outside of lessons because I enjoyed it so much; I did a few summers volunteering in China and I guess somewhere along the line I became fluent. It's a beautiful language, I adore speaking it."

Yixing was smiling, nodding his head here and there. "You're really talented with languages. To learn Chinese in such a short time when it's not your native language... that's really amazing."

Junmyeon blushed and dipped his head to stare at the closed menu in front of him. "You're too kind."  
  
Yixing laughed a little. "I'm just telling you the truth! Now, tell me about Langkawi. You seem to love it here, you love your work... Tell me why. Tell me why tourists should come and experience the island. I wanna know everything."

Junmyeon shrugged and smiled. "The Langkawi islands are... amazing. First of all, let me tell you about the things that are available here for tourists before I drone on too long and bore you."

Yixing chuckled softly and tugged his notebook out to a page with quick notes that Junmyeon could see enough of to know they had been made after Yixing's dives earlier that day. Yixing paused and opened his menu, peering over the top.

"Let me just choose what I want to order first."

Junmyeon laughed. "Their Chinese food is actually really good, I recommend that if you miss home."  
  
Yixing nodded a little and looked over the menu before he set it down. "Okay, I think I'll just settle for the kangkong salad, I think. I ate a lot of lunch on the boat, and I'm not on holiday to gain weight."

Junmyeon nodded. "Kangkong is nice, it's something I enjoy for lunch quite often."

Yixing nodded and uncapped his pen. "So then, tourist destinations."

Junmyeon nodded and took a few mouthfuls of his water. He leant forward on his elbows, resting his chin on his hands before he started going on about everything he had discovered his first few months in Langkawi.  
The cable car that took you over mountains and showed off the amazing landscapes and nature and ocean views the island had to offer. The Pantai Cenang, a beautiful beach with white sands that had amazing shops and cafes, and plenty for anyone to enjoy. The Laman Padi, a surprisingly interesting museum on the history of rice growing. The Payar islands, of course, where Yixing had seen some of the most beautiful corals available. The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park that spanned nearly 100 square kilometres, showing off amazing hills, swamps, beaches.  
Junmyeon didn't realise how many things he mentioned and how long he had spoken about the islands until the server interrupted them, asking if they were ready to order.

Junmyeon blinked, a little startled and smiled. "I think we are."

Yixing was finishing writing something down, and Junmyeon could count around five pages that had been scribbled with notes, both sides of each page, and he blushed a little. He finally looked up and nodded.

Junmyeon smiled. "Just a kangkong salad and also a mango salad, please. We're not too hungry tonight."

"Any drinks?"

Yixing shook his head. "I'm happy with water."

"Lychee tea for me, thank you."

The server noted it down and rushed off and Junmyeon looked back at Yixing. "I'm sorry, you're hand must be cramping so badly right now." He laughed weakly and Yixing shook his head.

"It's really nice to learn it from someone that... Learning from natives is amazing. Their knowledge is beyond spectacular. But a lot of them have never really seen these tourist attractions as a tourist. They're things that they've grown up with or watched them be built, things like that. It's where they get their paychecks from, or they potentially see them as a nuisance, always bringing tourists into the country. You came here and these things... they were attractions to you, right? Someone on the boat said you came here and then didn't leave, and I'm not prying, I'm not asking, just connecting dots." Yixing paused and Junmyeon nodded, letting him know he could continue. "You came here and you got to experience all these things as a tourist. They later then became casual daily life for you to observe and see, so there's an element of both tourist and native when it comes to asking people like you about attractions and such."

"People like me?" Junmyeon raised an eyebrow, sipping his water.

Yixing rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean migrants, not like... _ew people like you_."

Junmyeon found he enjoyed watching Yixing squirm a little bit and he chuckled. "You're fine, don't worry about it. It was just a little fun to watch you squirm."

Yixing stuck his tongue out before setting his notebook aside as their server returned with their food. They set about eating, quiet as they enjoyed their meals. 

Junmyeon enjoyed it; it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, just the sound of two people truly enjoying their food. He found he was enjoying Yixing's company, maybe a little more than he had intended to, or wanted to, but he also found he wasn't angry or upset by that. He noticed how Yixing was wearing smarter clothes than necessary for a small business interview and pondered on it for a moment.

Junmyeon put his fork down and carefully chewed the mouth he had before swallowing. He took a sip of his tea before he looked up and cleared his throat. "Would it be wrong of me to see this... like a date?"

Yixing looked up, with a small quirk of his lips. "You picked up on the hints, then?"

"I speak three languages fluently, you think I wouldn't?"

"I was hoping you would but intelligence and understanding of languages does not always equate to general and or social intelligence. It was a risk, fifty-fifty chance, and I was willing to take those odds."  
  
Junmyeon chuckled as he picked his teacup again, and Yixing finished off the last of his salad, delicately placing his cutlery down. "Would it be too brash of me to invite you back to my hotel room, Junmyeon?"

"Maybe a little bit."

"Would you be opposed to it?"

Junmyeon delicately chewed on a mouthful of fruit before he took another gentle sip of his tea, pretending to be struggling to make a decision. "I mean, I don't see a problem with it at all."

Yixing smiled and finished his water off before leaning back. Junmyeon speared the last of his food onto his fork and delicately chewed it, before swallowing the last of his tea. Yixing smiled. "Should we go?"

"I think we should pay the bill first."

Yixing laughed and called for the waiter as politely as he could, and Junmyeon felt a shiver of excitement slip down his spine in anticipation. Yixing paid the bill with ease and he stood up, ushering for Junmyeon to follow him.

Gladly, Junmyeon walked around chairs and tables, feeling almost drunk on his own giddiness.

-xox-

 

Junmyeon woke up to morning light shining on his face, making the insides of his eyelids glow red. He groaned a little, rolling over and trying to tug his duvet up over his head. However, the duvet wouldn't move, pinned down by something and Junmyeon frowned. He let his eyes flicker open, noticing straight away that he wasn't in his bedroom at home. He was in a bedroom, probably a hotel room from the look of a balcony beyond the curtains. Junmyeon made a noise in his throat and rolled over, only to find Yixing laying on top of the blanket, eyes closed and sleeping peacefully.

The night before came rushing back to Junmyeon and he smiled, reaching out to gently trace his fingers across Yixing's naked chest. Yixing's face twisted into a small smile and he blinked a little, eyes blurry as he looked up.

"Mm, morning. How did you sleep?"

"Really good, you exhausted me." Junmyeon laughed and tugged the blanket off of himself so he could lay on top of the duvet, leaning against Yixing with a smile. Yixing's arms wrapped lazily around Junmyeon and held him close as they dozed in the early morning.

Yixing chuckled a little. "Wanna go another round?"

"We went about four last night, you horndog."

Yixing laughed, sleepy and lazily, and Junmyeon felt something stir in his heart. He gladly moved closer, so their legs ended up entwined, and he pressed a kiss to Yixing's chest. "You're so warm."

"It's fucking hot here, that's why."

Junmyeon laughed a little bit and yawned against Yixing's shoulder. He nuzzled closely and sighed a little as he realised it was the morning. "What time is it?"

Yixing sat up ever so slightly to stare at the clock on the bedside table. "Just gone six in the morning."

"Ugh, I'm late. I have to go."

"No, don't leave me."

Junmyeon sighed softly. "I have to, this is the first time I've ever been late to work. I have people to help and cook for, and I think I'm the only first aider on the boat today if someone gets hurt. You have to let me go."

"I refuse." Yixing's strong arms tugged Junmyeon closer, and he kissed at Junmyeon's neck.

Junmyeon laughed weakly. "If you love me, let me goooooooo."

Yixing laughed softly and huffed, eventually letting go of Junmyeon's waist. "Fine, go, go. You know where to find me."

Junmyeon leaned down for a kiss before he stood up, trying to find his clothes that had been thrown around the room. He blushed when he found them all, still relatively close to the doorway, barely enough time for them to have gotten the door closed before they fell to the bed. He blushed as memories of last night began to flood his memory and quickly dressed; Junmyeon looked back at the bed one more time before he quickly let himself out of the hotel room.  
  


Junmyeon jogged across the small town, panicking a little as he made his way towards the dock. He was grateful Yixing had decided to book a hotel by directly by the sea; it only took him ten minutes to get to the dock. He sprinted the last few metres to the Miracle 5 when he spotted it, and almost ended up falling off the end of the dock when he stopped suddenly. Chanyeol laughed loudly at him and stood up from where he was pulling scuba gear onto the boat.

"Not like you to be late."

"It's the first time I've ever been late, shut up." Junmyeon leaned over to punch him weakly before he stepped onto the boat to help Chanyeol heave full tanks of oxygen onto the boat. He stifled a yawn and Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. There was a wolf whistle from behind him and Junmyeon turned to see Sehun.

"Well well, it was a date after all."

"I will drown you both."

Chanyeol and Sehun burst into laughter as they all pulled gear onto the boat. Junmyeon shook his head as the questions started.

"What's he like? He looked experienced."  
"Was it good? Did you suck him?"  
"He obviously didn't destroy your ass very well on account of you running here."

Junmyeon rolled his eyes as they made their way to the front of the boat when the work was done, sighing heavily as they sat down to wait for the divers to get there.

Sehun leant on the side of the boat. "Seriously, come on, I've gotta know. How good was he?"

Junmyeon gave him a calculated push and Chanyeol and Junmyeon burst out in laughter as Sehun's face turned to panic as he grabbed the side of the railing. "Hey! Not funny!"

Chanyeol and Junmyeon high fived each other as they sat down on their towels. "Oh, definitely funny."

Sehun kicked Junmyeon as he went to sit down, crossing his legs as he faced them both. "Seriously. Did he treat you well?"

Junmyeon smiled softly. "He did, and he said he was here for a while so who knows? Maybe something decent will happen whilst he's here. I'm looking forward to seeing him again; I don't know if he's on the boat today, but I have his hotel room, I can go visit or call him there, so."

Chanyeol smiled and laid down. "You look happy."

"I am... I think something might actually come from this for once, something good, someone that won't just drop all contact when they leave... That reminds me. Minseok is coming back."

Chanyeol shot upright, eyes wide and Sehun's mouth dropped open.

"What?"

Junmyeon nodded at Chanyeol's question. "I got a letter from him yesterday. He graduated his course earlier and couldn't stop thinking about this place. He ended up doing another course in tourism and such and he's moving out to Malaysia to be a tour guide or something. He wanted to meet up and get some help on setting up here as a migrant."

Sehun whistled, low, and shook his head. "That's insane. You gonna help him?"

Junmyeon shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe, he's a good guy. He had to go back - remember all the storms when he was here? He had to go back earlier because they cancelled most flights back to South Korea. He had to get back, so I'm okay with that. He didn't really have my contact details so he couldn't really let me know. I don't know how he has my address though.. and if he did have my address, why didn't he contact me before?"

"I asked your brother for your address."

The three men jumped and Junmyeon turned around to see Minseok, sheepishly standing by the front of the cabin, looking to the side at the pristine ocean they floated on.

"I was searching you up but couldn't contact you on Facebook because of your privacy settings, but found your brother. I spoke to Dongkyu and told him everything and asked if he could put me in contact with you, and he gave me your details. I wasn't willing to ring or text because I didn't know if it would charge you as well as I, and Google kept giving me different answers so I settled for a letter. I guess it got here pretty later than I intended, I got an earlier flight and this company almost immediately hired me when I emailed them... I didn't know you worked here. I'm sorry if... if I'm intruding."

The three men sat in silence as they stared at Minseok, all of them turning to look at Junmyeon as he gawped at Minseok.

It took Junmyeon a moment before he closed his mouth and shook his head. "Uh, no, no you're not intruding at all. I guess we're coworkers now. Have you ever worked on a boat before?"

Minseok shook his head and gingerly sat down next to Sehun. Junmyeon shrugged.

"It's hard work but you'll pick it up pretty quickly. It's not too bad."  
  


Minseok smiled brightly and nodded. "I hope so... it's good to see you all. I was worried I'd be the only person who spoke Korean on the boat... I've been learning Malay for a while but it's not... it's not one hundred per cent and I was scared I'd be left knowing nothing and being out of place."

Sehun shook his head and clapped Minseok's back. "I'll be honest, it's good to have you back. You always made the boat a good place, even if your dad jokes sucked."

Minseok scowled at him. "I'll push you in that ocean."

Chanyeol and Junmyeon burst out into laughter. "You fit in already."  
  


Minseok smiled shyly and Sehun kicked Junmyeon suddenly, his eyes staring behind him. Junmyeon frowned and turned around, only to brighten when he saw Yixing.

"Yixing! You're on the boat today?"

Yixing nodded with a smile and headed over, careful not to step on anyone as he greeted Junmyeon with a hug and kiss.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

Junmyeon froze and turned around to look at Minseok, not believing his ears. He was glowering at Yixing, and if looks could kill, the man would be dead beyond belief, with no hope of revival.

Chanyeol and Sehun were also staring at him, and Chanyeol looked furious. "Hey, you don't get to just come back here and start getting pissed off because Junmyeon moved on after you-"

"-I'm not pissed off because Junmyeon moved on, I'm pissed off with who he moved on with." Minseok stood up, eyes flaming, not caring for Chanyeol's offended expression for being cut off. "Are you kidding, Yixing?"

Yixing stepped back a moment, looking confused, but Junmyeon could sense Yixing knew what was going on.

"You just got married, you're here on your fucking honeymoon with Yifan and you're here stringing Junmyeon along? For what? A fucking story? Or are you that sick of Yifan already you couldn't wait to fuck whoever you came across here? Does Yifan even know you're diving? Or does he think you're doing some boring piece on something like the rice museum so he wouldn't come along with you? How many lies have you already told people on the third day of your honeymoon?"

Junmyeon swallowed and stepped back, staring at Yixing. A hand was suddenly on the small of his back, stopping Junmyeon from toppling over as he caught the sunbeds strapped to the bow of the boat. Junmyeon felt sick to his stomach as he turned around and made his way to the very front of the bow, gripping to the metal poles that prevented people from falling overboard.

"Junmyeon... Junmyeon, I can explain."

"Get out of here." It was Chanyeol's angry voice cutting through the air now. "Get off this boat, I'll find somewhere else for you to go, another boat, another company I don't care, but get the fuck out of my sight."

Silence fell before there were footsteps across the wooden floor of the boat. Three pairs of hands were on Junmyeon, making sure he didn't fall overboard, rubbing his back to keep him calm, a soft squeezing on his arm to try and steady him.

"I wanna go home." Junmyeon's voice didn't sound right, it didn't sound like him at all, and he hated it.

Chanyeol gently pushed in to give Junmyeon a tight hug. "All right, it's all right. Sehun, take my car. I'll get a lift back with someone, my keys are in my backpack. Get him home, I'll get someone to cover you two. Make sure he gets home, make sure he has water and eats. Look after him. I'll deal with the boss later, he can't be here right now."

Junmyeon felt Sehun nod against the top of his head and was lead off the boat, tears pouring down his face. He didn't care that customers were staring at him as he half fell from the boat, Sehun's hands the only thing stopping him from falling face first into the ground.

He didn't know when he got into Chanyeol's car, or when they pulled in to his driveway, or when he ended up sobbing into Sehun's chest in his own bed. He didn't know when he had started crying hard, guilt curling in his stomach at the thought of he might have ruined someone's marriage. He didn't know when Sehun dried his eyes off when there were no tears left, and helped spoon feed him; Junmyeon was too numb, he was too numb to even make any memories.

All that went through his mind, was Yixing. The thoughts of a happy, wonderful summer holiday with him, weeks together laughing and joking and Junmyeon taking him to some amazing hotspots, secret and hidden that only someone who lived in Kuah would know.

It was all he could think about.

Yixing's smile, the dimple in his cheek, his curly black hair, his soul-sucking dark brown eyes.

And so, Junmyeon let his mind black them from his memory, piece by piece until he didn't remember why he was crying and he had to ask Sehun why he was in bed and not at work, and why was Chanyeol's car in his driveway?

* * *

 

Junmyeon wasn't sure how he got in front of his door, pushing the key inside the lock and half forcing it open. The scent of seolleongtang drifted through the house, and guilt wrecked Junmyeon's stomach as he realised Minseok had been home, cooking all day for him. His right foot caught the door stop as he tried to fully walk into the house, and he landed with a heavy thud on the floor, winding himself. A sharp, high pitched bark immediately came from Byul, barking from the kitchen door where Junmyeon assumed Minseok was; Tan meowed from his bed, looking up at the noise and looking somewhat concerned.

Footsteps came from the kitchen and Minseok's head appeared around the kitchen doorway, only for him to rush over. "Junmyeon?! Did you go out drinking or something?"

Junmyeon couldn't reply. He didn't know how to reply. So many emotions were coursing through his brain, like a merry-go-round going too fast, plugged into too many volts and spinning out of control; his body was numb, his limbs unable to be moved as the grief hit him again. His body shook as Minseok stared onwards, kneeling down to gently hug him and Junmyeon cried into Minseok's thighs.

He should explain this, somehow. Something, not fully specific, but something that wasn't lying at all. He could easily say something as simple as, he found out someone he used to know had died, but that didn't feel right for what Yixing had been to him. It felt disrespectful to his memory, something that would spite him for life. That was too blase for who Yixing was, too plain for the memory of such an amazing man. He still had the newspaper clippings of Yixing's article on Langkawi somewhere in his closet, buried in a box of private things he owned that Minseok had promised never to go into.

Part of Junmyeon's heart ached and screamed, deep down, he knew that a section of himself loved Yixing, that had always loved Yixing, no matter how amazing Minseok had been and would be and was. Even right now, Junmyeon had stumbled home hours late with no explanation, sobbing his heart out and Minseok hadn't even shut the door; he had immediately knelt and cradled Junmyeon to try and comfort him. He needed to say something, he needed to let Minseok know he was okay, he was grieving, but every time he tried to speak, the tears got stronger and harder.  
No matter how horrible Yixing had been, how horrible he had treated Junmyeon, he couldn't stop the wracking pain; he couldn't stop the emotions that were pouring out of him, making him breathless and causing him to hyperventilate to try and find any air.

Junmyeon was beginning to feel light-headed and barely managed to mutter out that he needed to get to bed, as he tried to stand up. Minseok was there in seconds, arm around Junmyeon's waist as he helped through the living room of their bungalow.

"Junmyeon?"

"Bed... bed... water."

Minseok didn't question it, helping Junmyeon to shuffle over the faded carpet of the ocean in their living room, and through to their bedroom. He helped Junmyeon sit on the bed, and knelt down, taking Junmyeon's hands.

"Myeonnie, love, look at me. Look at me."

Junmyeon blinked hard, trying to see through the tears as he focused on Minseok's eyes.

"Breathe with me, Myeonnie, breathe with me, or I'm going to have to take you to the hospital."

Junmyeon struggled a nod and watched Minseok's chest, doing his best to match his breathing with his husband's. It took time, but his head began to clear, his breathing getting better and the pressure in his chest that was stopping him taking air in seemed to dissipate - it hadn't fully disappeared, but it was easier to get oxygen into his lungs.

"There we go." Minseok carefully took Junmyeon's shoes off and helped him undress down to his underwear. "I'll bring you some water in a second." He helped Junmyeon lay down, and gently kissed the tears out of the corner of Junmyeon's eyes.

Junmyeon smiled weakly, before turning away when Minseok left the room. He didn't deserve Minseok, not at all. Minseok deserved someone better, not someone who was still in love with a holiday fling from years ago. Junmyeon turned his head at the sound of a small bell and smiled as he saw Byul on the bed, padding over. He gently curled up, cuddling Byul against his stomach and stroking her hair. His eyes were sore and heavy, and he tried his best to stay awake, hoping to try and find the words to explain this to Minseok, but it was impossible.

The sound of the front door shutting could be heard, and Junmyeon was vaguely aware of Minseok's footsteps as he returned, the sound of Tan's footsteps following him over the laminate flooring of the bedroom. The gentle thud of Minseok putting the glass down indicated he had fully returned and Minseok sat down on the bed. His fingers gently swept through Junmyeon's hair, soft and soothing in their movement as Minseok laid down to gently kiss Junmyeon's temple.

"I know he... I know he passed away."

Junmyeon's eyes flew open in shock as he stared at the wall, feeling Minseok lay down behind him. Minseok's small, strong arms wrapped tightly around Junmyeon, holding him close.

"Let it all out, it's okay. It's all okay, cry it out, love, I'm right here."

The tears came hot and heavy as it hit Junmyeon.

Minseok always knew, Minseok always knew that part of Junmyeon's heart was still caught up in memories he had forgotten long ago. That his heart would never fully belong to Minseok, that part of him would never be happy in their marriage, no matter what.  
And Minseok didn't care; Minseok still loved him and supported him, and did his best to care for Junmyeon.

Junmyeon sobbed harder as he thought back to the last time he had seen Yixing.

He and Yixing would have been a perfect match after all.

 


End file.
